Wretches and Kings
by The Boondock Dixon
Summary: OC: Natalie Thrush. 26 years old. Thrush has managed to escape the grip of the Federation, which had held her and her family captive. Now, on the brink of death, she must find the strength to take the fight back to the enemy and rescue her sister in the process. Will she succeed? Not alone. She needs allies. That's where the Ghosts come in. (I only own Thrush, Alvarez, & my story!)
1. Chapter 1

My entire body feels like lead. I fight exhaustion, but I'm losing badly. Everything is so sore and it all aches. I fight the urge to simply lie down and wait for death to take me. I can't. I won't. She's counting on me. My sister. I have to find her, get her to safety. I would say "get her home," but there is no home to return to. We've been on the run. I've lost track of time, but it has to be at least a month now. I got sick a couple of weeks ago, I don't know exactly when, but all I know is that in the time I've been fighting this illness, my sister has been taken from me. By soldiers of the Federation. I f***in' hate those guys. Monsters, more like. They've taken everything from me, except for my will to fight. I suppose that's all I can really ask for nowadays. But I'm getting ahead of myself. It's not exactly the soldiers I should be mad at, although I hate that they follow orders so readily. But so would any soldier. Nonetheless, it's not by their choice that they took my sister. It was the order of their leader. General Alamagro. Just thinking the name fills me will such malice that words cannot do it justice. I can't describe how badly I want to end that psycho. And I will. Even if I die. Speaking of dying…

I groan lightly as I trip over a root and fall to my knees, catching myself with my hands. I crawl forward a few feet and collapse. A thin film of sticky sweat coats my body, but I shiver. Not ten minutes ago, I was battling the heat from the sun and the dryness of my parched throat and mouth.

Mustering up what little strength I have left, I push myself upright into a sitting position, my legs thrown out to my left side. Just as I am about to raise myself to my feet, I hear voices. I strain to hear what language they're speaking in; great, Spanish. Federation soldiers. I lie down slowly, pressing my stomach flat against the ground as I determine where they're coming from and how close they are. I close my eyes, giving my sharp sense of hearing an even greater advantage. They're definitely coming closer. I listen in on their conversation.

"¿Pero estás seguro que era una de ellas? ¿No pudo haber sido un animal?" One soldier questions the other on whether or not he saw me or my sister.

The second soldier answers, "Estoy cien por ciento seguro. No pudo haber sido un animal. Fue una de las mujeres. Verás que vamos a encontrar una de ellas aquí, así que estáte atento ."

"Bueno. Pero si no la encontramos, me debes una cerveza."

"Está bien. Ahora, pon atención."

I hear them make their way closer to my position. Great. Without a conversation to gauge their distance and position, I have to strain to hear exactly where their footsteps are. The dry leaves crunch underfoot, helping me.

I slide out my tactical knife, readying myself for a fight; however, I will only fight them if they spot me. Otherwise, I know better than to try to take them on in my current state by choice.

I struggle to keep my labored breathing quiet. I feel so stuffy, but waves of icy coldness shock my body. One of them is right beside me. I don't move a muscle. I hold my breath. One move, and I could be dead in the next five seconds. No sound from the soldier.

Suddenly, he steps up to my left side, kicking me solidly in the ribs. I grunt and roll onto my back, swiping violently at his legs as I move. I catch him and bullets spray past my head, whizzing and thumping into the soil. I scramble to my hands and knees, just as he starts to move. I practically throw myself on top of him to keep him from pointing his rifle at me. One quick jab, and I've stabbed him in the throat. He gurgles as his blood drains out of the wound and from his mouth. His eyes are wide in shock, but they lose the life within and close slowly. I regain my breath, trying to determine where his partner is. This soldier had a silencer equipped, so there's a chance that his partner didn't hear the commotion.

No such luck. I hear running footsteps, and I decide not to lie prone here anymore. I take off at a run, my shorter than average height and the tall grass working to my advantage. I push myself, my legs burning in protest and my ribs aching, both from the illness and from the kick I just received. My breathing is no longer even remotely quiet. I cough and try to clear my air passages. I start to wheeze and trip over a cluster of roots, sliding and falling on my side on the concrete of a street. The buildings all around are abandoned, not an unusual sight. Quite the opposite, in fact.

I can't try to escape anymore. The enemy soldier catches up to me quickly, pointing his gun at me. I hold my hands to the sides of my head, shivering. Believing I'm no threat, the soldier walks up too close, and I kick out at his legs roughly. He falls heavily to the ground, cursing in Spanish and struggling to regain his footing. Too late for him.

I wrench his pistol out of its holster on his right thigh, aiming and firing once. It's not silenced. I know how grave this mistake is when I hear several more voices yelling out in Spanish. They're coming straight towards me. I look behind me. There's no way I'm gonna make it away from them in time. My heart pounds in my sore chest, hurting me even more. So, this is how it's gonna end? I have to stand down. If not, they'll kill me on the spot. An image of my sister flashes before my vision. I failed to save her. I couldn't even save myself.

I rise shakily to my feet, my knife sheathed and the fallen soldier's rifle in my arms, aimed and loaded. One more shudder courses through me.

"Let's do this," I whisper to myself.

Five Federation soldiers rush out from the tall grass and foliage. Two head straight for me, while the others provide cover. I shoot one down, but the other manages to barrel into me, knocking me down. I cry out as I realize he rammed his knife into my side in the process. My sore throat feels like it's been torn to shreds. The air whooshes out of my lungs as we land, his heavy body pressed against mine. I grow angry and give him a hard time as I try to wriggle out from under him. He raises his knife for the killing blow, but a large shape slams into him from above my head, knocking him back and away from me.

Before I can completely register this close save, I scramble to my feet once more and stagger towards the grass. I have to hide somewhere in there again. I realize I haven't been shot yet. As I make my way towards my target, I notice silenced shots being fired. I hear them hit solid marks, and the Federation soldiers grunt and gasp as they fall to the ground, dead.

I don't give myself the chance to look back, my body at the brink. I can go no further. Whoever saved me, I can't wait to find out if they mean me harm or not. I am spent.

I fall to the floor, not even having the strength to catch myself with my hand. Tears leak out of my eyes, not from emotion, but from illness. Now this is it.

I swim in and out of consciousness, not really remembering how I got here, but knowing the reason why. I hear a faint jingling, as of a dog tag. I remember my own childhood canines, and I am comforted somewhat. I can almost swear I feel the cold, wet nose of a dog press against my hand, my injured ribs, and then my forehead. What the hell is happening in my messed up head? I struggle to open my eyes. When I do, I see the faint, blurred image of what appears to be a German Shepherd dog. It whines and lays its warm, furry body perpendicular to my torso before giving a series of short, loud barks. What's going on? What does this mean?

Darkness closes in on me once more, and I stay out this time.


	2. Chapter 2

My throat burns. Heat radiates off my body. I still feel so weak. My eyes open slowly, and a cough bursts forth. It rips past my torn throat, making me cough more.

Suddenly, a hand is on my shoulder and I open my eyes fully to see another hand holding a class of water before me. I flinch away from the contact, practically throwing myself off the side of the bed I realize I was on.

"Whoa, whoa, miss. Take it easy. I'm not gonna hurt you." The man's voice is surprisingly soothing. It is deep and calm, with no hint of menace. The one who saved me?

I look over at him at last. My first realization is that he's not wearing anything that would associate him with the Federation. But that could just be a tactic to gain my trust. He's just wearing regular clothes.

I then notice his eyes, calm and breathtakingly green, but with a weariness that shows just how hard this life has been on him. I saw the same age in my own brown eyes when I paused to splash my face at a small stream in the woods a few weeks ago. I could hardly recognize myself.

The eyes tell so much about a person, but I've never really felt comfortable looking into another person's eyes. It's an intrusion of personal space and a confrontation at the same time. That is the reason I've never allowed anyone to look me in the eye for too long. I can feel them reading me, and I can only imagine what they see. The windows to the soul, they call them.

I don't know what it is about this man that allows me to hold his gaze, not faltering or flinching away again. But my stubborn mind still won't let me trust him. I look away from him with one small shake of my head.

He takes a step forward.

"Get the hell away from me," I warn him in a low voice.

He freezes. Silence.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise."

I glance up at him quickly, before looking around the room. I scan for any means of escape, or if absolutely necessary, any object that can be used as a weapon. My gaze rests on a sharpened pencil on a desk against the wall to my left. I would still need to slip past the man in order to get to it. I decide attacking now, and establishing my ability to defend myself, would be the best chance to survive this. It doesn't matter if this guy is or isn't lying; I need everyone I meet to know not to cross me. Of course, in my present condition, that's gonna be a lot harder to prove.

The man moves over to the bed I was on and sits on the side I just threw myself off of. He keeps his gaze on me.

"I'm Hesh. What's your name?"

I glance at him again, feeling strange under his green-eyed gaze. "One name doesn't tell me shit. I don't know who you are or what side you're on."

He nods slowly, folding his arms in front of his broad chest. "Fair enough. David 'Hesh' Walker. Lieutenant. Against the Federation." He looks intently at me, emphasizing the last bit.

I look him in the eyes again. "Prove it."

He frowns for a moment and cocks his head to the side. "Well, I can't let outsiders in on any of our operations until I know who exactly they are."

I chew on the inside of my lip, his information and request spinning through my sore head. I decide to take a leap of faith. "Natalie. Against the Federation. Trying to down it, actually. Lacking the proper resources and support."

"No allegiance?"

I shake my head. "None. Just a rogue rebel with a cause."

He exhales a laugh through his nose. "Well, Natalie, I'd like to let you know that the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

I narrow my eyes at him. "How do I know you're still not an enemy?"

He rolls his neck. I hear it crack. He shrugs his shoulders, popping them as well. Finally, he looks at me.

"My dad was in the U.S. Army. What's left of the U.S. military, that's what my younger brother and I joined. Our CO's our father, who leads a Special Ops force tasked with keeping our military alive. We're also working to bring down the Federation. As for who exactly we're targeting, I'm not authorized to tell you that. If you want to leave us, you're free to do so. Like I said, we're not here to hurt you, and we're not gonna hold you against your will. If you do decide you can trust us enough to stay, you're gonna have to earn our trust in return if you want in on the main purpose. But, judging from what you've told me about yourself, it seems like we're on the same side."

I watch him carefully, gauging his expressions and movements. Any nervous twitch, a hint of a lie, and I will not confide in him. He seems trustworthy. Should I give him a shot?

"I have one more question."

He gestures with his hand. "Ask away."

I get up from my sitting position on the floor. Inching my way to the sharpened pencil, I stop when a coughing fit racks me.

Hesh moves as if to help me, but I hold my hand out to him, warning him to stay back. Instead, he reaches for the glass of water and hands it to me again. When I don't reach for it, he places it on the desk I'm trying to reach.

I get up rather clumsily, using the wall to my left to brace myself. I put a hand to my throbbing head, making it seem as if I am just wandering to a different part of the room as I walk closer to the desk. I feel Hesh's eyes on me the entire time, and I get the feeling that he's not one to be easily fooled. I see him tense up out of the corner of my eye, and I take the chance to lunge for the desk. Just before my fingers can close around the sharpened pencil, Hesh moves forward, wrapping his arms around me from behind. I wriggle one arm out of his grasp, managing to use my weight to move Hesh forward. I snag the pencil and twist around in his arms to try to stab him with it.

"What the f*** is wrong with you?!" He growls.

He catches and holds my wrist with an iron-grip. My skin burns where it meets his. His green eyes bore into mine, making me feel weaker than I already am. What the hell? That moment of distraction is enough for him.

He wrests the pencil from my grip, and turns me around before slamming me firmly against the bed. He stands beside me, maintaining a strong hold on my arms, which are twisted behind my back.

"You said you had a question to ask me."

I breathe quietly through my open mouth, the skirmish having taken a lot out of me. "I got my answer."

"Tell me what it was."

I am silent a moment.

He shakes me once. "Answer me."

I wince as my sore body protests. "I needed to know you didn't fight like a Fed. Only then would I know you weren't one of them."

He lets go of me, walking around to the other side of the bed to stand by the door. Pointing a finger at me, he admits, "You're smart. But just watch out who you attack."

I make no reply.

He leans against the wall by the door. "So, you believe me, now?"

I grimace. "I really have no choice."

He smirks. "Yeah, you're right about that. But what I said earlier still stands: you don't have to stay here. But I do recommend it." He frowns as he looks me over.

I must be a pretty pathetic sight. I wrap my arms around myself as I stand awkwardly by the bed.

He gestures to the bed. "Feel free to lie down before you keel over."

I cross my arms. "I'm fine."

He exhales through his nose, shaking his head and smiling faintly at me. "Stubborn son of a gun."

I resist the urge to smile.

He nods at me. "Ah, I think I see a smile." He pauses as he waits for a response. When I give him none, he continues, "I hope you'll come to see you have no reason to fear me or the others."

I look up at him. "Others?"

"I told you, I'm part of a Special Ops force. I can't tell you our mission but I'm sure you've figured by now that we're allies."

I bite the inside of my cheek. "I believe you."

He smiles. "Well good. I'll take you over to meet the rest of the guys who saved your ass out there later."

I smile this time. "Sounds good."

He grins. "You should smile more often, Natalie. It suits you."

With that, he leaves me alone in the room. I think over his words, realizing that he must have seen the person I used to be, the smiling, friendly girl who used to live a normal, average life in a normal, hectic world. She is the ghost of me. I've become something much darker, terrible, and there's no going back. Maybe I am the ghost of her.

The click of the door shutting leaves me in a heavy silence. I almost feel like running out of the room after Hesh, just to have some friendly human contact. I miss it. Being able to talk to another person who isn't trying to kill me. I do believe Hesh, I really do. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna relax. It sure as hell isn't gonna happen. I still have a job to do. I need to find my sister. Dead or alive. Even if I die in the process.


	3. Chapter 3

I open my eyes to darkened windows. I yawn and rub my eyes, wondering how long I've been asleep. As I lift myself into a sitting position and stretch, my sore muscles ache slightly. I raise an eyebrow and lower my arms. What the hell?

I get up out of bed easily, my body no longer feeling as heavy as before. I am still exhausted, I know that, but something feels different. Better. I smile slightly, surprised.

My chest aches and I move to the desk to drink the water Hesh left there. The cool liquid soothes my throat, but as soon as it goes down, I feel an itch and start to cough again. Well, still not 100 percent, but way more than 10.

Tears leak from my eyes, and I brush them away. I see a box of tissues and proceed to clean myself up. I wash my hands at the sink there, before walking over to an open drawer where I find my clothes, neatly folded and cleaned. I furrow my eyebrows, wondering who did this for me and when. Did they walk into the room while I was sleeping? Why not wait until I was awake, so as not to make me feel watched? I shrug and change into my clothes. Feeling more comfortable in my familiar attire, I pace the room, wondering what to do next. Hesh did say he would come for me later, but he didn't specify when that was.

I feel my legs start to lose their strength, so I sit on the bed, dangling them off the edge. I grow drowsy again and lay back against the pillow, drifting off once more.

"Man, you sure can sleep." Hesh's voice sounds in the room as I wake up.

I shift upright suddenly, startled.

"Oh, sorry."

I find him sitting at the desk. "How long have you been here?"

He gets up. "Not that long. Twenty minutes, maybe. Sorry if that's creepy." He smiles sheepishly at me.

I shake my head. "As long as you don't try to kill me while I'm sleeping, that's fine."

He raises an eyebrow. "I'm not gonna try to kill you at all, Natalie. Trust me."

I tilt my head to the side for a moment. "Hm. You're still gonna have to earn my trust."

He smirks, crossing his arms. "And saving your life doesn't count for anything?"

I shrug one shoulder. "You have my thanks." I raise my eyebrows mockingly. "You want my white handkerchief too, as a token of said gratitude?"

He chuckles. "It would be a nice gesture."

I shake my head, smiling.

He stands. "Come on, let's have you meet the guys."

"They're ok with meeting me? Aren't you guys some big, secret operations dudes?"

He looks at me with mock-contempt. "Hardy f***in' har. I think they know a little better than to reveal everything about themselves to you in one go. Like you said, you're gonna have to earn our trust."

I nod in understanding. As I move to get up, I realize it's a bit of a challenge again. I grumble to myself, annoyed that I can't have my former strength.

Hesh steps forward to help me up. I wave his hand away, but it's not a warning this time. I want to do this myself. I can't show weakness, especially in front of spec ops warriors. Hell no.

Hesh holds the door open for me and we start the walk over to where I'll meet his comrades.

"How far is this place?" I resist the urge to vomit, a light, cold sweat peppering my body.

Hesh looks over his shoulder at me. He frowns when he sees me. "Not too far. Just a couple buildings down. You ok?"

I grit my teeth. "Just peachy."

He looks like he's about to offer me help, but he thinks better on it and shoves his hands in his pockets instead. "Well, shall we?"

I nod once, not trusting myself to speak.

As we walk, I take in my surroundings, noticing the buildings scattered around the military base. These are low structures guarded with sandbags and ply boards to protect the people inside from mortar shells. Humvees, jeeps, and a couple of tanks are scattered around. Soldiers, U.S. soldiers, are stationed around the place, whether on duty or conversing casually. Others jog in groups around a grass field, while others play basketball. American flags are everywhere, along with the occasional flag of a Canadian or European ally. The one aspect of it all that stands out to me the most, though, is a towering, hulking mass of a wall.

My mouth opens slightly in awe of it. "What the hell is that?"

Hesh glances back at me. "Oh, that. She's our protector. The Great Wall of China she ain't, but she's reinforced our base and kept us safe for the most part. Keeps out the enemy, and that's the most we can ask of her, seeing as she's taken pretty hard beatings in her time. We're working to keep her standing but, as you can see, it's no easy job."

I nod slowly. "I can believe that."

"Here we are," Hesh announces, holding a door to one of the low-hanging buildings open for me.

I step into the building, where I wait for Hesh to take the lead once more. He does so and I follow him down several hallways, passing quiet rooms and seeing no one else. Just as I am about to ask where everyone is, Hesh stops at a door and opens it.

Looking over his shoulder at me, he says, "I'm gonna tell them you're here. This'll only take a minute."

I nod, watching as he enters the room and the door slides closed softly behind him.

I cross my arms, not knowing what to do with my hands. A sudden nervousness has crept over me. I don't know who these guys are, what they're like, how they'll react to me, or how I'll react to them. What if they think I'm still the enemy? What if they imprison me like Alvarez did me and my sister? Then I wouldn't be able to continue looking for my sister. But Hesh promised me I could leave whenever I wished. Of course, anyone could use a lie like that. But this base is definitely American. I feel a pull to trust Hesh, but at the same time, my dark past has led me to think twice, three times, hell, up to fifty times about whether or not I can confide in someone. And I haven't trusted anyone completely in a decade other than my sister. No one else has been around long enough or been allied with us long enough to earn my trust. This world of chaos in which we now live has changed me, adapted me, and I no longer allow myself to give my trust or my compassion willingly.

The door opening once more snaps me from my thoughts. Hesh smiles encouragingly at me and says, "They're ready for you."

I put aside the feeling of dread that came up with his words and force myself to walk forward. I should have told Hesh to give me my weapons before coming with him. But he doesn't have any on him….Doesn't mean none of the others won't…

I mentally slap myself and focus on the present. I follow Hesh into a meeting room, where a round table is placed in the middle of the large room. Four men of varying ages are standing around the room. They're very big men, packed with muscle, tall, ferocious. They also look very fast. One wrong move, and I have a feeling I would end up as a corpse within seconds. I am definitely intimidated, but I'm not scared. There is very little that can actually scare me nowadays, and my missing sister is one of those things that can still have that effect on me.

Hesh gestures from me to the men. "Ali, these are my teammates."

He points to the bald guy on the far left, who is leaning against a side table with his arms crossed in front of his broad chest. His eyes are slightly narrowed at me, giving a hint of a mad-dog. "That's Merrick."

He points to the guy to the right of Merrick, whose blue eyes remind me of a silent predator, watchful and patient, but deadly. "That's Keegan."

Hesh points to the third guy, who looks to be around my age, with blond hair and a gentle smile. His eyes, like Hesh's, hold a tired wisdom, where once a youthful light sparked. "That's my little brother, Logan."

He points to the final guy, who looks to be the oldest in the group. His hair is white and his face is scarred, but I have no doubt he can rip my face off with one quick move. "That's my dad, Captain Elias Walker."

He glances at me and back at the team. "Guys, this is the lucky lady we helped rescue a couple of days ago."

The Captain moves forward to stand in front of me and Hesh. "Well, for the record, I wasn't one of your saviors, but I sure as hell hope they made the right call."

I take the momentary silence as my cue to answer. "Sir, I hope so, too."

Merrick scoffs. "Someone's suicidal."

I resist the urge to say a comeback. It wouldn't help me, and I am indebted to them.

The Captain glances back at Merrick. I don't see his expression, so I don't know what is conveyed to Merrick, but the warrior doesn't continue. Captain Walker looks back at me. "What do you mean by that, Ali?"

I look him in his light blue eyes, not allowing myself to back down. I need to prove that I can stick up for myself, while also working to gain their alliance. "I mean that I hope you finding me will prove to be…beneficial for you guys and myself."

He narrows his eyes at me slightly. "You speak in riddles, that's for sure."

Hesh clears his throat and asks me, "They know what you told me. It's ok, they're not gonna hurt you either."

I look at him out of the corner of my eye, before scanning the other guys once more. "I'm not worried about you guys hurting me, and I have no intention of acting against you. Like you said," I say as I turn my head to look at Hesh, "we're on the same side." I look over at the other guys. "And thank you, really, for saving me. I am grateful for that, and if you guys need any help, I'm more than willing to do my part."

They nod. They're definitely not talkers. But maybe that's just with me, a stranger. If so, I don't blame them.

Captain Walker smiles down at me. "Hesh also told us you're on death's door. You should rest up before you offer your gun to join ours."

I wave a hand and shake my head. "Nah, it's just a flu. I'll get over it and then I'll prove to you I'm serious."

He nods at me. "You've got the spirit for it, I can see." He glances at his son, then back at me. "If you're open to it, Ali, I would like to speak with you about what exactly you were doing out there on your own. I can speak with you alone, or we can keep the men here. It's up to you."

I glance at Merrick and Keegan. Merrick doesn't seem too pleased, but he remains silent. Keegan shifts uncomfortably, but he too doesn't voice any concerns. My gaze travels over to Logan, who glances up at me and back down at his hands, which are folded before him. I can't read him.

I look back at Captain Walker. "I have no secrets. I'll talk to all of you. Figure it's the least I can do right now."

"That's very noble of you, miss. There may be a spot for you here yet." He looks around at his men, and a sort of silent joke seems to pass among them, unknown to me.

I chew on the inside of my mouth. "What do you want to know?"

"Start from the beginning. Why were you out there in the first place?"

I sigh silently. I won't hide anything from them. I need their help. I figure it'll be easier to rescue my sister with the help of a Spec Ops unit instead of just my weakened self. I have no idea how I'll convince them, but I have to try. If they won't help me, I'll stay until I'm 100% and be on my way asap. If they do help me and turn out to be enemies later, at least I can rest easy knowing there's a good chance we'll have succeeded in getting my sister back. "General Alvarez, successor to General Almagro. He's been a plague on my family for as long as I can remember. My mother was from Mexico, my father was American, and my sister and I were born and raised here in California. As you know, Alvarez aided the attempt to wipe out every U.S. citizen." I pause, fighting with the urge to stop right there. I figure it's too late.

"What's his affiliation with your family?" Hesh asks.

I continue, aware of the fact that all eyes are on me. No doubt they're watching for any lies, the faintest slip-up. "My mother's grandfather was the president of Mexico, and Alvarez's family was the opposing side of that campaign my great-grandfather won. Besides other familial warfare, Alvarez grew up learning to dislike my mother's family for that reason. When my parents moved to the U.S., he tried to track them down, for what, my parents never got the chance to tell me. I can only guess it must have been to kill them and us. Well, with Alvarez's rise to power, he got that chance. On his path to take out every American, he made a beeline for my family in California. He captured us, and he kept us as hostages. His men used torture methods to try to extract vital information on our family's financial reserves, because a bigger army requires more dough. I'd rather not get into any detail with that, but just know that he kept us all separated. We were only ever close to each other when one of us was getting grilled for information. We were led into separate rooms which had one-sided windows looking out to the central interrogation room. We never actually saw each other until the day Alvarez personally executed my parents before my sister and I."

I pause, the agony and rage bubbling to the surface and causing me to see a hazy red.

Hesh puts a hand on my shoulder for a moment. Maybe he and the other guys think I'm about to cry. I don't. I look back up and speak to a spot on the ground a little ahead of me.

"From that day forth, my sister and I made it our personal mission to kill that bastard and put an end to his army. So we stayed there, in Alvarez's grip, plotting our escape. We worked at it for months, almost a year. I don't know how the hell we managed to pull it off, but we did. We got out of there and took to the hills. With no supplies or weapons, we had to adapt fast. Natural selection's a bitch, but we managed. We knew we needed to find allies, those who were willing to stand against Alvarez. We knew you guys, the American resistance, existed, but we had no idea how to get to you. That was part of the learning process out in the middle of Mother Nature. We learned about how you guys were formed by listening in on passing enemy convoys and interrogating those lone Fed soldiers we captured. But then shit happened, she got taken, and I ended up alone."

"Where's your sister now?" Captain Walker asks.

I look at him. "I don't know. She was captured a while back, probably going on two weeks now. That's the reason I'm out here on my own. I honestly have no f***in' clue where I'm going, where I'm at, or how I'm gonna find her again and get her out alive."

"You need help finding her," Hesh says from beside me. It's not a question.

I look up at him and down at the ground before me. It's hard to admit that I need to depend on someone else, but I really have no choice.

The captain takes my silence for an affirmative answer. "Alright. My men and I will discuss what our decision will be; then we'll let you know if you've our support."

I glance up at him, then at the rest of the team. Merrick is still eyeing me like I'm a pile of rotting flesh, Keegan's expression is unreadable, and Logan avoids my gaze entirely as he watches his father.

I decide to not argue; I will agree to leave them to talk amongst themselves. Turning on my heel, I leave the room.

Hesh follows me to the door and leans out of the doorway into the hallway to tell me, "For the record, I'm on your side. I think we should help you find your sister."

I nod at him. "Appreciate it."

He smiles faintly and closes the door.

I sigh as I lean against the wall on the opposite side of the hall. I feel like I'm on trial, awaiting the decision of the judge and jury. My legs and arms feel weak, and my head feels too big for my neck. I need to rest, but I won't allow myself to look weak in front of these men. A light, cold sweat begins to spread. I shiver and brush my hair out of my face as I look down at the floor. The minutes tick by slowly, feeling more like hours. I hear raised voices coming from the room, but I can't tell what they're saying.

I rub my eyes with one hand and run it down my face as I wonder how on earth they're going to agree to help me out. Maybe I just have to befriend them all. I really am in no position to decide otherwise. It's clear that to go against these guys would mean my death. That wouldn't help my sister. She is the priority.

The click of the door opening makes me look up expectantly.

Hesh smiles faintly at me as he motions me back inside.

I walk in, struggling to meet any of the gazes directed towards me.

Hesh stands next to me again as Captain Walker begins to speak.

"Ali, we've come to an agreement." He glances over at Merrick with an expression that seems to dare him to protest.

Merrick lowers his gaze from the captain's, which surprises me. Even the most stubborn warrior has to be subordinate to someone.

"We will help you find you sister."

I look up in surprise. "Really?"

He smiles. "Yes. On one condition."

I nod, waiting for him to state it.

"You will go through multiple tests designed especially for the Ghosts. We would have placed you in Basic Training, but we figured, you've been through hell and back from what you've told us. You must be a true survivor and fighter."

I shrug. "You all agree on this?"

Captain Walker shakes his head with a smile. "Majority rule."

I glance at Hesh. He nods once at me.

I sigh and look down at the ground ahead of me. "Alright. Fair enough."

The captain claps his hands once. "Okay, then. Keegan's volunteered to train you. You'll start as soon as we get the clear from the infirmary. You work with us, we'll work with you."

I nod, biting my lip.

Captain Walker cocks his head to the side as he looks at me. "Any questions?"

I chew on my lip a moment more before answering him. "Just a 'time is of the essence' problem, you know?"

He chuckles lightly. "Be happy we aren't forcing you in Basic anyway."

I raise an eyebrow. "Well, when you put it that way…"

Captain Walker smiles gently at me. "There you are. We're already seeing eye-to-eye."

I smile faintly.

"Alright, then. Meeting's over."

As soon as the captain says this, the guys begin to disperse and talk amongst themselves in lowered voices.

Captain Walker comes up to me and Hesh. "Feel free to meet the guys one-on-one. Hesh is gonna show you around the base more afterwards." He looks closely at me. "If you're up for it. Frankly, you look like you're about to drop."

I shrug one shoulder. "I'm fine, sir."

He nods once and glances over at his son. "I'll see you two later. I've got work to do."

With that, it's just me and Hesh standing there. Logan fiddles with the bottle of water before him, as if in inner turmoil.

Before I can make a decision to stay or not, Logan gets up and walks over to us.

He gives me a friendly smile and I give him a small one in return.

"Hi, Natalie. I'm sorry about your sister. Really." He glances at Hesh before returning his gaze to me. "I can only imagine how hard it would be if Hesh went missing."

Hesh claps his brother on the shoulder. "Well, like Dad said, we're gonna help get her sister back."

I smile at Logan again. "Thanks, man. I do appreciate it. I just really want to start working with you guys so that we can help each other out."

Logan glances over his shoulder at Keegan. "You shouldn't have long to wait. If you're being completely honest with us, you'll prove yourself in no time. And Keegan is one of the best; he'll have you trained and ready to go before you know it."

"Well, that's good to know."

"If you need any help or have any questions when Hesh isn't around, just look for me. I'm willing to help a potential ally any way I can."

"Thanks again."

Logan nods once and claps his older brother on the shoulder before striding out of the room.

I turn to Hesh. "He's nice."

Hesh cocks his head. "Well, my baby brother is just gullible. He's the easiest one to earn trust from. I think you can tell who'll be the hardest."

I look to where his gaze leads and rest my sight on Merrick. I groan under my breath. "It's gonna be fun, I can tell."

Hesh chuckles lightly. "Don't worry. He won't hurt you unless you give him a reason to."

I shiver slightly at those words. I can feel the truth and a hint of a warning in them. "What about Keegan? If Logan's so gullible, maybe I should hear your opinion on the man, too?"

Hesh shrugs. "He really is one of the best. Him, Merrick, and my dad. Keegan takes you under his wing, and you're good to go. I don't know how he feels about you, because he doesn't say much, but if he didn't like you, I'm sure he'd have killed you by now."

I shiver again. I know Hesh isn't joking.

"So, what's it gonna be? Meet 'n greet, or not?"

I take a deep breath and exhale softly. "I want to meet Keegan. If he's gonna be training me, might as well get started."

Hesh nods once and leads me over to where Merrick is moving away from Keegan.

I have no idea how to act around Keegan. His brilliant ice-blue eyes pin me in place, making me feel slightly uneasy on the inside. One wrong move…

"Natalie," Keegan greets me with a nod.

I didn't expect that. All I manage to say is, "Sir."

"Good, no first name basis. Not yet."

I smile faintly, not answering.

Hesh brings his hands together and cracks his fingers. "So, I'll let you two get to know each other, and when you're done I'll be waiting outside, Natalie."

I look up at him and nod. "Sounds good."

When Hesh is out of earshot, Keegan looks at me again and asks, "So how'd you convince Hesh that you're good?"

I look up at Keegan. "Sorry, sir?"

He waves a hand. "Just Keegan. I know you don't mean any harm. Just follow my directions and you'll be rolling with us before you know it."

I am taken completely aback by this immediate acceptance. Is it a trick, though? A test of some sort? I decide to take it as such. "Si—Keegan, I don't understand why you're being so nice, but I appreciate it."

He shakes his head. "I wouldn't call it 'nice.' But I do know what you're about. I can see it in your eyes. Plain as day."

I resist the urge to shiver. How the hell does he manage to maintain that effect on me? "When can we start training? I want to go after my sister as soon as possible."

"I understand. But like Captain Elias said, we can only start when the infirmary allows you to do so. Otherwise, you just have to relax and focus on getting back to 100 percent."

I smirk slightly. "I can handle myself, no problem. I don't see why I need a doctor's note."

Keegan doesn't smile but the look in his eyes is soft, as if he wants to laugh. "Just stick with the conditions, yeah?"

I nod. "Of course."

"Alright. I have some potential team members to train, so if you'll excuse me…"

"See you later, Keegan."

"See you later, Natalie." With a faint smile, he speaks over his shoulder before looking away from me and striding out of the room, as lithe and silent as a jaguar.

Once he's out of the room, I realize I've been holding my breath. I exhale quietly and take a few steps towards the door, noticing that my knees feel weaker and a bit shaky. Must be the illness still taking effect…Right?

I shake my head, regretting my motion when my vision swims. I hold my hand to my head and reach for the wall to steady myself.

I hear the door open and before I can compose myself and hide the fact that I feel like shit, Hesh's voice travels to me, sounding far-away.

"Natalie? Hey, hey, you okay?"

I can sense him next to me, but I'm getting tunnel-vision. My heart pounds in my sore chest and I struggle to breathe.

"Fuck," I mutter, before finally blacking out.


End file.
